Turnout Gear Washers and Dryers Available Through Grant Program

The application period for the 2013 Assistance to Firefighter Grant (AFG) program is expected to open this fall (www.fema.gov). This means fire departments can soon apply for grant dollars to purchase equipment needed to heighten firefighter safety, including Continental Girbau Inc. (Continental) ExpressWash™ Washers and ExpressDry™ Gear Dryers.

Operators select a program number, press start, and the washer automatically blends optimum water temperatures, water levels, chemicals, extraction speeds and cycle times. “ExpressWash Washers are freestanding machines,” added Jorgensen. “So they are easily installed in tight places without bolting them to reinforced concrete foundations. They will operate beautifully in truck bays, on floors with in-floor heat, in utility rooms, or anywhere there is a bit of space.” Once turnout gear is properly washed, it’s quickly and safely dried using either an ExpressDry Gear Dryer or ExpressDry Special Ops Gear Dryer.

The Special Ops Gear Dryer is equipped with 12 drying ports and four invertible stickmen to quickly and safely dry protective gear and apparatuses used for firefighting and special operations, such as swift water, ice and dive rescues.

An optional boot tree dries up to four pairs of soaked boots in just 60 minutes. The dryers use a 110-volt fan to push non-heated air through the garment – from the inside out – at high pressure. This effectively dries areas that are hard to reach – returning gear to service in hours, rather than days.

ExpressWash Washers and ExpressDry Gear Dryers are backed by an industry-leading ContinentalCare™ warranty and often qualify for AFG grant dollars.

Continental Girbau, Inc. is the largest of 14 subsidiaries of the Girbau Group, based in Vic, Spain. Girbau laundry products – marketed throughout 90 countries worldwide – meet rigorous environmental and safety standards established by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).

Girbau S.A. holds both ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certifications. Ever focused on laundry efficiency, Continental Girbau is a member of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGB), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that developed the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System.